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Shanina Shaik

Shanina Shaik (born 11 February 1991) is a model from Melbourne, Australia.

Early Life

Shanina's mother is of Lithuanian heritage, while her father has Pakistani and Saudi Arabian roots. Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia she started modeling when she was 8 years old doing small catalogue gigs for Target and K-Mart, but stopped when she started high school and got accepted into an accelerated program, graduating a year before her classmates. At the age of fifteen, encouraged by others, she entered the Girlfriend Model Competition, the same contest that Abbey Lee Kershaw won years ago, but Shaik did not get very far. While agents were interested in her, she was too young to move to Sydney, so she went on to participate on the Australian reality show Make Me A Supermodel, ending runner-up to Rhys Uhlich.

Career

In her debut season during the Autumn/Winter 2009 season Shaik walked over 8 shows in New York City. She opened Yeohlee and walked for other designers such as Shipley & Halmos, Abaete, Mara Hoffman, Lorick, Project Runway, Trovata and Richie Rich.In her second season, she scored a show card for the Spring/Summer 2010. Following this she walked for designers Betsey Johnson, Catherine Malandrino, Gerlan Jeans, Nary Manivong, Rachel Antonoff and Susan Woo. During the Autumn/Winter 2010 season Shanina walked for Bebe by Kardashian, Emu Australia, Iodice and Project Runway.

Shortly after signing with New York Model Management, Shaik appeared in an editorial for Seventeen Magazine and Men's Health. Other appearances include Level Magazine, Orlando Style Magazine, 2 Wheeler Tuner Magazine, Philadelphia Style Magazine, Tu Style and Zink Magazine.

In 2010, Shaik walked in the Spring/Summer 2011 catwalk show for Project Runway and L.A.M.B.

In 2011 she had no issues finding representation in New York when she switched to NEXT Model Management, and from Chadwick Model Management to Chic Model Management. She starred in a campaign for Italian lingerie giant Intimissimi and Australian shoe brand RMK. Shaik has worked for other brands such as Macys, Avon, Bloomingdales, Free People, Olay, Seafolly, Spiegel, JC Penny and Sasha Samuel. She also starred at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2012 walking for {Bless'ed Are The Meek, Guanabana, Karen Neilson, Kirrily Johnston, L.A.M.B., Lisa Blue, Lisa Marie, Miss Unkon, None the Richer, Nookie Beach, Project Runway, Roopa Pemmaraju, Terri Donna, Wonders Cease.

With this year being her third year trying out Shanina scored a breakthrough when she was cast to walk in the 2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, making her the fifth Australian along with Miranda Kerr, Elyse Taylor, Sarah Stephens, and Abbey Lee Kershaw to star in the show. Shaik has also walked for Chanel's Pre-Fall 2012 collection at the Grand Palais in Paris.

In 2012, Shaik appeared in print-work for Victoria's Secret and Bonds. During Fall/Winter 2012 Fashion Week she opened Jason Wu, and also walked for Ruffian, Kevork Kiledjian, Charlotte Ronson, Nanette Lepore, Diesel, Oscar de la Renta, L'Wren Scott, Tom Ford, Blumarine, Atsuro Tayama, Maiyet, Vivienne Westwood, and Stella McCartney. Shaik also did a shoot with Vogue Australia, it is due to be released at some stage during the year.

Personal Life

Shaik dislikes talking about her participation in Make Me a Supermodel in interviews. She has expressed that it does not fare well for models to be attached to a reality show, but also stated that she does not regret being on the show, since she met her boyfriend, American model Tyson Beckford, while filming in 2008. She has stated that if she were not modeling, she would study child psychology.